Class Instruction:Welcome to English/Language Arts! The focus of middle school English changes to more of a response to literature and a study of literary devices and tools writers use. In writing, the emphasis is on the PROCESS! Students will be using Google Docs. All students will take STAAR 6th reading in May of 2017.

Student Tutoring:Thur. 8:00-8:15 am or by appointment. Please notify me by the evening before if you are planning to attend tutoring. I encourage students to email to request a tutoring time. Although I have a scheduled tutoring time, please don’t consider it your only tutoring option! Meeting with students one on one is sometimes the most valuable thing I do, so don't be afraid to ask to meet.

Books:Students will be required to complete independent reading-- 15 min EVERYDAY or 105 minutes per week. Electronic readers are allowed. Reading must be at appropriate reading level (students will do a reading evaluation in the first few weeks, but most books for 4th grade and up are ideal.) Magazine and newspaper articles are allowed. Students will have periodic reading check-ins.

For a class novel study this first semester, students will read The Thief and the Beanstalk by P.W. Catanese. Students need a personal copy in class by Sept. 6th. Students will be annotating the book as we read. This purchase can be made at Barnes and Noble or on Amazon. Click HERE for Amazon. Second semester students will choose a novel from a given assortment. Students will need to purchase that novel as well, but not until January.

Rules/Expectations: Be Respectful; Be Responsible; and Be Safe1. Respect people, supplies, and property.2. Listen when someone is talking.3. Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself. 4. Come to class prepared. (ALWAYS have pencil, earbuds, binder, and charged iPad.)5. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Rewards: Rewards for following the rules include receiving Paw Prints (that can be redeemed at the school store/ quarterly drawings); positive parent contact; and other teacher prizes.

Consequences:Consequences for not following the rules include: a warning from the teacher; a student and teacher conference; parent contact; school referral

Grading Policy: Major—60% Skills Development—40% Practice—0% “Eanes ISD middle school teachers are committed to grading and assessing in the best interest of our students. We believe grades and assessments communicate content knowledge, guide instruction, and reveal opportunities for enrichment and intervention.”

*Major grades will consist of tests, projects, presentations, or packets.*Skills Development grades show how students are progressing towards goals. This covers cumulative learning and information covered in several learning checks. *Practice is not calculated into a student’s grade. A “0” does not influence a student's grade. * Homework is any assignment given as a follow-up, practice, or review. It is NOT any assignment done at home.*If a student has missing work or work not done to specified standards, the student will receive a “0” or incomplete (INC) in the grade book until the completed work is received. If a student has an asterisk (*) in Skyward, it means I entered the assignment, but have not corrected the paper yet. *All students will receive periodic progress reports via email sent to guardian listed in Skyward. Please let me know if you prefer another method of delivery/notification.

Missing and Late Work: “The consequence for failing to complete an assignment is completing the assignment.”Students are expected to develop a sense of responsibility by meeting assignment deadlines. All major grades can be done up to the closing of the 9 week grading period. Some assignments are time sensitive and may NOT be made up.

I do not have 6th grade lunch, so students will need to report to the Testing center to complete missing assignments during their lunch. If an assignment is not completed on the due date, students will need to complete a “Late Slip” and attach to the finished assignment. The assignment will be corrected with all late work every 3 weeks, so grades may not go into the gradebook immediately. All assignments go in the turn-in-tower for your period. Students who consistently have Late Slips will need to schedule a parent/teacher meeting. No assignment can be made up after a grading period closes.

Re-testing:Students will have the opportunity to retest/redo any major grade. The student must schedule time with the teacher to request the retake and to arrange a schedule for completing the required remediation work. Students will earn the higher of the two grades, even up to 100% credit.

Website: I use my website as a communication tool, especially the Google calendar! You can often find details to assignment in the calendar, if you click on the event. If an assignment has been entered in Skyward, you can also look at the comments there for details on the assignment. Handouts and other materials will be found Google.

Vocabulary: We will have a vocabulary quiz EVERY Friday! Even if a student is absent the day before, the student is expected to take the test. Spelling is part of the test. Students can retake the vocab. tests in order to earn a better grade. Vocabulary words can be found on Quizlet, the Website, or in Google classroom. It is best to study 5 min. per day!

Problems:Tbowerman@eanesisd.net If you can’t find the information you need on the website, email me. Do not wait until the next day in class. If you have a problem, write me and we will work out a solution together. I can’t promise you I will answer always at the time you need, but I do check my email at home and usually answer within 24 hours.